肴
accompaniment for drinks
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
- さかな
Meaning
肴 centers on food served alongside alcohol: a snack or dish meant to accompany drinks, not a main meal.
Most common words using 肴
- 肴さかな
appetizer or snack served with drinks
- 酒肴しゅこう
food and (alcoholic) drinks; food eaten with an alcoholic drink; accompaniment to a drink
- 佳肴かこう
delicacy; rare treat; good-eating fish
- 嘉肴ありと雖も食らわずんばその旨きを知らずかこうありといえどもくらわずんばそのうまきをしらず
one cannot understand even a holy man's teachings without study; one cannot know the abilities of a great man without putting him to use; one cannot know the delicious taste of fine food without eating it
- 強い肴しいざかな
side dish served in order to encourage the consumption of alcohol (kaiseki cuisine)
- 珍味佳肴ちんみかこう
rare delicacies; rare treat
- 珍肴ちんこう
uncommon and delicious meal
- 祝い肴いわいざかな
accompaniment to a drink served at celebrations (such as New Year)
- 粗酒粗肴そしゅそこう
cheap wines and unpalatable dishes (a modest (self-deprecating) way of offering a meal to a guest)
- 美味佳肴びみかこう
delicacies; epicurean dishes
- 美酒佳肴びしゅかこう
fine wines and prized delicacies
- 肴にするさかなにする
to have as a side order (with drinks)
- 酒の肴さけのさかな
appetizer or snack served with drinks; accompaniment to an (alcoholic) drink
- 酢肴すざかな
vinegared appetizer
Study
Etymology
肴 combines 肉 (meat, simplified to 月 in the modern form) with 爻 (crossed lines), suggesting prepared meat or food. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the character has long been associated with side dishes for drinking.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 㐅 looks like crossed skewers, and the bottom 有 suggests possession. Imagine holding skewered morsels as the perfect accompaniment for your drink.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, picture a cozy pub where you call out 'koo!' to order another round of drinks and snacks: koo -> コウ.